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Air Quality News Archive

• 4/5/05 - On April 5, 2005, the Washington, DC region’s designation as nonattainment for fine particles (PM_2.5) became effective. The counties and cities included in the Washington, DC-MD-VA PM_2.5 nonattainment area are the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun Counties, and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, and the Maryland counties of Charles, Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s. EPA still plans to issue guidance for implementing the new standard. Visit the EPA Fine Particle (PM 2.5) Designations page for more information.
• 3/31/05 - View the first edition of the new MWAQC Newsletter - Air Currents. Sign up to be informed when future issues of Air Currents are available.
• 1/12/05 - In January EPA approved the Washington region’s Rate of Progress portion of the recently submitted “Severe Area SIP.” The approval includes approval of the contingency measures, transportation control measures, VMT offset analysis, and control measures, including voluntary measures. EPA expects to act on the attainment demonstration portion of the SIP in the next month. View the Federal Register notice of EPA’s proposed approval.
• 1/5/05 - On January 5, 2005 the Federal Register published EPA’s final designations for the fine particle standard which will become effective April 5, 2005. EPA designated the Washington, DC-MD-VA region as nonattainment for the PM2.5 standard, which was adopted in 1997. View the final rule (PDF 350 KB) and a fact sheet (PDF 30 KB) about fine particles. For further information, see the EPA AirNow Web site.
• 12/17/04 - EPA designated the Washington, DC-MD-VA region in nonattainment for fine particles (PM2.5) on December 17, 2004. For specific information about EPA’s designation announcement, see the EPA timeline.
• 8/31/04 - SIP page enhanced with latest updates on EPA approval process.
• 5/6/04 - COG posted the PowerPoint presentation “Air Quality Forecasting Program and 2004 Ozone Season” (1.5 MB PPT).
• 4/29/04 - COG released the updated brochure Improving Air Quality: Metropolitan Washington Region - State Implementation Plan (SIP) (234 KB PDF).
• 4/25/04 - Letter to U.S. EPA with MWAQC's comments on the Proposed Interstate Air Quality Rule.
• 4/15/04 - EPA designated the Washington, DC-MD-VA region as in Moderate nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone standard. The Washington region is required to submit a new air quality plan (SIP) to EPA in 2007, and the region is required to meet the new standard in 2010. View EPA’s designation announcement and rule (first phase):
  • Factsheet: Clean Air Ozone Rule of 2004 (104 KB PDF)
  • Classification Table for the 8-Hour Standard (181 KB PDF)
  • Final Rule 8-Hour (518 KB PDF)
  • Preamble 8-Hour NAAQS (285 KB)
• 3/24/04 - View PowerPoint presentations from the March 24 ICMA Webcast - Wind Energy: Opportunity for Local Governments.
  • Larry Flowers - Wind Energy for Local Governments (1.3 MB PPT)
  • John Phelan - City of Fort Collins Wind Power Program (1.9 MB PPT)
  • Ann Elsen - Regional Wind Energy Purchase Montgomery County (1 MB PPT)
  • Amy Ellsworth - Development Issues for Local Governments and Municipal Utilities (369 KB PPT)
  • Additional Resources (1 MB PPT)
• 2/19/04 - At its February 19 meeting, MWAQC approved the latest revision of the Plan to Improve Air Quality in the Washington, DC-MD-VA Region - State Implementation Plan (SIP) “Severe Area SIP” Demonstrating Rate of Progress for 2002 and 2005 and the Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan and Revised 1990 Carbon Monoxide Base Year Emissions Inventory for the Washington DC-MD-VA Nonattainment Area.
  • Visit the SIP plan page for further information and to view the document.
  • Visit the CO plan page for further information and to view the document.
• 8/19/03 - Visit the Air Quality Data page for a list of Ozone Exceedances by Monitor Station for 2003.
• 7/14/03 - Visit the Air Quality Data page for June, July, and August daily ozone concentration summary reports.
• 5/22/03 - Updated Complete List of Control Measures Considered by MWAQC for Use in Severe Area State Implementation Plan (SIP) Spring 2003 (20 KB PDF file)
• 5/22/03 - Analysis of the Complete List of Control Measures Considered by MWAQC for Use in Severe Area State Implementation Plan (SIP) Spring 2003 (709 KB PDF file)
• 1/24/03 - MWAQC comments on EPA's proposed New Source Review changes.
• 1/24/03 - EPA reclassifies DC-MD-VA as a severe nonattainment area for the 1-hour ozone standard. See the Federal Register notice (104 KB PDF).
• 12/4/02 - MWAQC presentation outlining requirements for severe area SIP.
• Mobile Emission/Speed Chart.
• Download the Periodic Emission Inventory for 1999 for DC-MD-VA - (1.87 MB PDF file)
• MWAQC has adopted a public comment policy that allows comment to MWAQC in person at the beginning of each meeting.